Former world number two Paula Badosa withdrew from the Wuhan Open due to a gastrointestinal illness, just hours before her scheduled first-round match against Australian Ajla Tomljanovic. The Spaniard’s exit comes amid a racism controversy over a photo she posted online, which caused widespread backlash.
The photo, taken at a Beijing restaurant, showed Badosa using chopsticks to imitate a stereotypical “Chinese face.” It was shared by her coach, Pol Toledo, during her run to the China Open semi-finals. After sparking an uproar, the image was quickly deleted, and Badosa issued a public apology on social media.
“Really sorry, didn’t know this was offensive towards racism. My mistake,” Badosa posted, taking full responsibility for the incident. As a result of her withdrawal, Italy’s Lucia Bronzetti, a lucky loser, will now face Tomljanovic in the tournament.
